“You don’t mean….”
They both knew exactly who she meant. It wasn’t necessary for his name to be spoken out loud.
“Eva, he’s bad news…”
“You don’t know that, maybe he’s not. Maybe he has a good reason to do what you think he’s doing.”
“Money?” Bella snorted.
“You’re not giving him the benefit of the doubt. If you do that, people might surprise you.”
“They also might shock you and not in a good way, like you shocked me just now.”
Eva burst into laughter again and Bella joined in.
“I just don’t want you to get hurt, that’s all. You’re my friend.”
“I know,” Eva was thankful, “and I appreciate that, I really do, but I need to find out on my own what’s happening here.”
“What do you mean?” Bella didn’t understand.
“Well, remember that I had even better news?” Eva reminded her.
“Oh yeah!” Bella remembered. “You mean, it’s better than doing it with the two cutest guys in school?”
“It can’t even be compared.”
“Wow. What is it?”
“My dad is alive,” Eva said it aloud again and a part of her still didn’t believe it, even though she had his letter and Amelie assured her he was getting better.
“Wait… what?”
“My dad survived the crash.”
“How do you know?”
“I can’t tell you that, I’m sworn to secrecy but there’s something seriously shady happening in Ridgeview Academy and it has something to do with my dad and Sorwyce.”
“Sorwyce?” Bella was surprised. “But, that story happened ages ago!”
“And they had no idea where he was or where he is now, right?”
“Or if he’s even alive,” Bella added.
Eva wanted to tell her that he was, but she managed to bite her tongue in time, causing a surge of pain, remembering only then that she still had a cracked lip.
“That all sounds incredibly dangerous.”
Eva could see worry in Bella’s eyes. She took her by the hands. They were cold and clammy.
“We’re safe, don’t worry,” she lied, knowing that this was what her friend needed to hear right now.
The truth was far from it. She could sense it in Amelie’s voice, she could read it between the lines of her dad’s letter. They weren’t safe, she least of all people. But, she knew that she needed to watch out and that made her a dangerous prey - one that knew it was hunted.
Chapter 17
The following few days passed by uneventfully and Eva welcomed the feeling. She almost felt like just a student, attending school and focusing on her school work, instead of someone who was forced to unearth a mystery regarding a whole new race of beings she once thought were just a myth.